Was Vince Carter the best athlete to ever play basketball at UNC?
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The best all around athlete? I don't know. Peppers, Curry, Noel to name a few were probably every bit his equal as an overall athlete.
As mentioned Julius Peppers was a great athlete. He could play several sports and several positions as well. He also has made about 100 million (plus) since he left Chapel Hill. Now, MJ IS the Greatest basketball player to ever lace them up. He also was better than average at both golf and baseball, to name a few. Ronald Curry was a high school All-American in both football and basketball. VC is great at what he does...
My top 3:
1) Jordan - Had everything you use to measure athleticism. Hops, speed, grace, hand-eye and length. He also had a sport IQ that was off the charts.
2) Carter - See MJ with a bit lower sport IQ.
3) Peppers - Really tough to put him here because he is in the same class as all 3. A complete freak but not quite as smart as the other 2. Everything else was as good or better as anybody considered in the athletic freak class. I remember him batting a ball against either Clemson or FSU and then pirouetting around with a QB draped on him, finally catching the ball and running it for a TD. Ridiculous stuff on a football field. Oh and he did ridiculous stuff during pickups bball games at the hill too. He was legendary there.
1) Jordan - Had everything you use to measure athleticism. Hops, speed, grace, hand-eye and length. He also had a sport IQ that was off the charts.
2) Carter - See MJ with a bit lower sport IQ.
3) Peppers - Really tough to put him here because he is in the same class as all 3. A complete freak but not quite as smart as the other 2. Everything else was as good or better as anybody considered in the athletic freak class. I remember him batting a ball against either Clemson or FSU and then pirouetting around with a QB draped on him, finally catching the ball and running it for a TD. Ridiculous stuff on a football field. Oh and he did ridiculous stuff during pickups bball games at the hill too. He was legendary there.
Ronald Curry ? The kid was all hype at UNC ! He could not dribble a basketball or shoot one !!!! At point guard I rather have Adam Boone !!!! LOL !
Dang man u can be a great athlete and not be a great shooter or dribbler. Vince carter for instance. But the dude started at qb and pg. then went on to play wr in the nfl. Pretty freaking athletic if u ask me.
Being drunk by 8:23 PM is a bad look.
I believe he is coaching with the Saints, but that's not really relevant to the question since we are talking about his UNC career.
Hard to do playing 2 sports..in which he started in both at a major level..not high school!!..he played very well at qb once he gave up basketball and concentrated on fball!!
I'd say Peppers. Just based on pure physical God-given athletic traits.... strength, speed, agility, quickness, coordination.
Interesting trivia: Pepp is the only player EVER to play in both a Final Four and Superbowl. Pretty cool to have on your resume....
Interesting trivia: Pepp is the only player EVER to play in both a Final Four and Superbowl. Pretty cool to have on your resume....
Actually he is one of 2.
Donovan McNabb I'm pretty can say the same thing. I believe he was a freshman on the 96 Syracuse team that lost to UK.
I was going to mention Orlando but hesitated because most probably don't even remember him. Only reason I do is I lived in Granville when he was there. I had the distinct impression he could jump over the building without much trouble.
Kinda begs the question, are we talking basketball athletic or just pure athlete? VC, MJ, Worthy ect were amazing basketball athletic. If we are talking pure athlete, Ronald Curry was extremely special, Noel, Peppers for sure. Had Curry focused on basketball and not played football I do think he would have been a very good NBA player, I think Noel could have played TE in the NFL, don't see Peppers playing in the NBA, so I would call it a dead heat between Curry and Noel for pure multi-sport athletism.
If Peppers just concentrated on basketball from high school on, can't see him not having 10+ years in the league
Melendez.....Not his fault here at all, but I heard about his "great athleticism" every darn year, and yet he never helped us in any game I recall. He may have been a great guy, a scholar, a gentleman, a killer practice player and an all-american team first guy. But I never heard so much talk about a guy who just didn't seem to have what it took to play in the ACC. Again, not his fault at all. My fault for listening to pre-season hype.
Maybe, you may be right, not saying you are not but his focus on football built a level of toughness in him that not having that football focus may not have fostered to the degree it was there. Peppers is what 6'4-5? As a guys that size what would his position be in todays NBA? That is a wings length, Barkley was able to do that in a different generation of the NBA game but not so sure a guy at that length is going to be able to do that in todays game.
In that one season peppers was a big football strong tough guy that was able to use his football tough mindset to do well on the basketball court in that one season he played. But the premise of this question is what if he was not exclusively football focused, then he wouldn't have that football instilled toughness and without that I am not sure he would have been effective at the D-1 level and definitely the NBA level, at least IMO.
MJ...... I understand the vote for Carter, but you "maybe" are looking at his vertical as the final factor. VC is incredible, but MJ put the ball through the hoop, and yes he did it at UNC also (Many think he took off only in NBA).
I can put Peppers in the convo also, if he stayed with Bball for 4 years he would have been a first rounder.
Love Vince, but the convo begins and ends with Jordan PERIOD
I can put Peppers in the convo also, if he stayed with Bball for 4 years he would have been a first rounder.
Love Vince, but the convo begins and ends with Jordan PERIOD
That's funny. Martin immediately popped into my mind too when I saw the Serge Zwikker post!
